Log-carriage for saw-ivjills



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. T. SMITH. I LOGGARRIAGE FOR SAW MILLS.

No. 390,525. Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

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Th e d 0 M 0 N Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

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w. T. SMITH. LOG CARRIAGE FOR SAW MILLS.

No; 390,525. Patented 0012.2, 1888.

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time STATES ATFNT tries.

WVILLIAM T. SMITH, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

LOG-CARRIAGE FOR SAW-MILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,525, dated October2, 1888.

Application filed March 7, 1888, Serial No. 266,429.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Log- Carriages forSaw- Mills and System for Running the Same, of which the following is aspecification so full, clear, and exact as will enable those skilled inthe art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the appended drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inlog-carriages for sawmills; and it consists of a carriage and a systemfor running the same, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth in thespecification, and pointed out in the claims.

One object of my invention is to provide a saw on either side of acircular track, so that the log is sawed twice during the circuit of thetrack.

A still further object of my invention is to provide mechanism wherebythe log shortly after leaving the saw is automatically pushed laterallyon the car, so that when it reaches the next saw it presents a surfaceto be sawed.

These objects I accomplish by the means hereinafter d escribed,andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and on which similar letters of reference indicate thesame or corresponding features, and of which Figure 1 isadiagraminatical plan view illustrating my system of track, showing theconstruction of the switches, &c. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail planview, more clearly showing the construction of the switches. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the rod and bars shown in Fig. 2. Fig. at is a sideelevation of the improved truck for conveying the logs. Fig. 5 is a viewthereof showing the log before itis sawed and means for pushing the samelaterally. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the log after it has passedthe saw and as the carriage is turning one of the corners. Fig. 7 is adetail side elevation, more clearly showing the construction of themechanism for pushing thelog. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of theguiding-block which (No model.)

assists in operating the head-block. Fig. 9 is a transverse sectionalview on the line a w of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the same. Fig.11 is a plan view of a portion of two cars, showing the connectingcoupling. Fig. 12 isa detail view of the hinge used therefor, and Fig.13 is a plan view showing the coupling attached to a car as it appearsin the act of rounding one of the curves or corners of the track.

The letter A designates one section of a railway-track, and the letter Banother, the two being parallel to each other and connected togethernear their opposite ends by a semicircular section, 0 and D. At thepoints E F G H, respectively, I locate a switch, I, the same beingconstructed as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, which I shall nowproceed to particularly describe.

Firmly fixed upon the ground or to a platform, as desired, is arock-shaft, J, having near one end a handle, K, and provided at bothends with couplings L M, to the former of which is connected a rod, N,and to the latter a rod, 0, the said rods N and 0 being, however,connected to the couplings-the former, N, on the upper side of the rodJ, and the latter, 0, on the lower side-so that when the handle K isturned over in the direction indicated by the arrow the rod N willtravel in the direction indicated by the above-mentioned arrow and carrywith it the sections P and Q of the track connected to it, while the rod0 will travel in a contrary direction, the consequence of which is thatthe section 1? will be brought in a straight line and form a part of thetrack B, and the section Q will be thrown entirely out of line, and thecar can run only in a straight line up and down the track B. Theseswitches are used only occasionally, as their usual position is thatshown in full lines, so that the cars will, as a rule, travel in anellipse and in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1.

On the farther side of the track A and B,

to drivethem being applied to the pulleys V and WV. By this arrangementthe log is sawed twice in its passage once around the trackfirst, by thesaw R, and, secondly, by the saw S, the log being moved laterally afterits passage at the first saw by means which will hereinafter more fullyappear.

The letter A designates a log carriage, the same consisting of a body,B, mounted upon trucks 0' and D, the trucks being provided with curveddepending arms E, which carry grooved rollers F, which, as more clearlyseen in Figs. 5 and 6, run against the inner edge of the upper portionof the rail, the purpose of which will presently appear. The body B ofthe car is provided with slots at either end,and therein are mounted theplane rollers G.

At a short distancefrom the curved portion of the railroad-track anddescribing a concentric curve with the track, yet in a vertical planebeyond the rail, I place a railing, preferably of wood faced with iron,G, on itsinner side, said railing being supported and braced by bars Hand I. The purpose of this device just described is to assist the car inturning short curves, the roller F running against the inner side of therail, and the roller G runningagainstthe railin g j ust described-ameans which, by actual trial, I find perfectly satisfactory.

Mounted upon the lower side of the trucks is a beam,'K, on which ismounted a rackbar, L, with its teeth turned downward. EX- tending acrossthe track is a shaft, M, and at a point midway between the rails andmounted on said shaft is a pinion, N, and as the ear passes over thepinion N the rack-bar L is engaged therewith and motion is given to thecar.

For a few incheson either side of the pinion N,I construct, as moreclearly seen in Fig. 9, a sort of chair consisting of uprights O,hav-

' ing at its upper end pulleys or rollers 1?,which engage the upperlaterally-extending edges of the rack-bar L. Inthis way a sure and firmunion is had between the pinion and the rackbar, and the ear preventedfrom slipping or moving otherwise than steadily on its way. The log isplaced upon the bars Q, on which the head-blocks B are mounted, and Iwill now proceed to describe the mechanism by means of which Iautomatically effect a pushing laterally of the log to be sawed.

At the points S and T, I locate a beam, U, having a curved slot, V, onits inner face, and as the carriage moves by these points the lever Wtravels in said curved slot V, the pawl thereon engages with theratchet-wheel X, which turns the pinion Y, mounted on the same shaftwith it, which pinion Y engages the rack-bar Z on the under surface ofthe head block, and thus pushes said block forward, and, as aconsequence thereof, moves laterally the log, so that when it reachesthe next saw said log is again ready to be sawed. In Figs. 11

i and-13 I illustrate the coupling I use in connecting the cars togetherin such a manner that they can readily and easily turn the cor- 11ers.

To each ear is secured a projecting beam, A, to which on the inner sideis seen red one member of the hinge, shown in Fig. 12, and to the beamor block B, I secure the other member of said hinge. In this manner thecars have full swing in turning the curves and pass them easily; but inorder to prevent the other side of the block B from its tendency to sagand injure the hinge I secure to the blocks A a curved bar, 0, and Imount upon the block B two or more eyes, through which the curved barextends, so that as the cars turn the curve, as more clearly seen inFig. 13, the block is allowed to run considerably forward on the offside, yet nevertheless is firmly supported.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the track, of saws situated on opposite sidesthereof and running in opposite directions, and knees adapted to movethe logs laterally to present a sawingsurfaee for the next saw.

2. The combinatiomwithithe track and logcarria-ges, of saws situated onopposite sides of the said track and running in opposite directions,knees adapted to move the log laterally, for the purpose set forth, alever having connection with said knee, and a beam having a curved slotadapted to receive the said lever.

23. In a system for carrying logs, the combination, with an endlesstrack and a shaft provided with a pinion located near said track, and anupper adjacent curved rail or railing located near each of the curves insaid track, of a log-carriage whose body is provided with rollers whichimpinge against said upper adjacent curved rail, and whose trucks areprovided with a rack-bar,witl1 which the pinion intermeshes, and one ormore rollers connected therewith and constructed to impinge against thetrack-rails and facilitate the car in rounding curves.

4. The combination, with the endless track and saw-carriages, of thehead-blocks Q and R, lever WV, pawl, ratchet X, pinion Y, rackbar Z, andbeam U, having slot V, all arranged in the manner and for the purposessubstantially as herein shown and described.

5. The combination, with the endless track, of log-carriages adapted torun thereon, and having curved depending arms and grooved rollerscarried by said arms, for the purpose set forth.

6. The c0mbinati0n,with the parallel straight tracks A and B andsemicircular sections 0 and D, forming an endless track, and one or morelog-carriages constructed to run thereon, of saws respectively locatedon the farther side of the said tracks A and B and adapted to run inopposite directions.

7. In a system for carrying logs, the combination, with an endlesstrack, a shaft pro vided with a pinion located near said track, Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in and two or more cars providedwith raokthe presence of two witnesses.

bars constructed to be engaged by the pinion and receiving motiontherefrom, of a connect- WILLIAM '1. SMITH. ing-block hinged on itsinner side to each car, and provided on its farther side with Witnesses:

eyes, into which a projecting arm from each A. E. L. KEEsE,

car extends. WM. LAUXMANN.

